Welcome to The Sludgelord!
Presenting up to date news, reviews & interviews for riff addicts around the world.
This is 'Liberation through Amplification.'
It’s the September edition of THE SLUDGELORD“666 PACK REVIEW”! This is the time of year that some of you are
rearranging your band shirt collection by swapping out sleeveless shirts with
hoodies and raglans. In addition, tours
are cropping up all over the place and if you’re in a band and strive to score
gigs, record albums, and hopefully tour one day, THE SLUDGELORD
can help you hone those chops by reviewing your demo! If you’re new to this, each and every month
we handpick 6
review submissions and critique them by only using 6 words, then we rate them
on a scale from 1
to 666! Check out our fall flavored rating scale
below:
1
– I bet your band got lost in a corn maze and couldn’t figure how to get out?
2
– Gourds might be cool to look at, but that’s about it. Your band is a gourd.
3
– This is average, just like anything from Soufly these days.
4 – I liken this to the
excitement you get knowing that October, even more so, Halloween is right
around the corner!
5
– You know how pumpkin spice lattes are lame?
Well, pumpkin spice beers kick ass and so does your band.
666
– THE SLUDGELORD awards you with the highest compliment it
can give…. a 666
rating!!!
Caveat: Even though the 666 PACK REVIEW is meant to offer humorous
critique, there are no safe spaces here and your gripes will only make you
sound like a bellyacher. THE SLUDGELORD is a picky listener…and doesn’t care what
you think of his opinions….
Massachusetts doom metal band, Marrowfields, premiere their first single from their
upcoming debut album “Metamorphoses”. The album is a concept record loosely
based on Ovidian folklore and mythology. Plans for a release in late 2018 to
early 2019 are underway, with physical media planned for tape, CD, and LP.
The first single, “Birth of the Liberator”, gives the listener a taste of all of the
different complexities the band has to offer. From crushing doom riffs with soaring
clean vocals to death / black influences, Marrowfields offer a
punishing and haunting approach for fans of the doom metal genre. Check it out below exclusively at THE SLUDGELORD and watch your speakers die.
French Blackened Post-Core
band DEMANDE À LA POUSSIÈRE are
set to release their self-titled debut album this coming Friday September 28th
via Argonauta Records.
The band delivers an impressive hypnotic yet aggressive sound which moves from
Blackened Post Metal to Sludge and Doom, with an apocalyptic vibe of ambient
bleakness. Dive into the dark sound of DEMANDE À LA POUSSIÈRE and stream their full album below, yurn up the volume
and let your speaker die. "DEMANDE À LA POUSSIÈRE” is available
to purchase (HERE)
Harnessing the powers of anguish and majesty
simultaneously, PILLARS carve a tortured place in the psyche
of doom and sludge with an unshakably focused assault on the senses. Harsh,
brooding, and calculated, the music drags your soul through the muck and buries
you, your screams a part of the choir of devastation. Sacrificing the vintage
and retro flare commonplace in the genre as of late and replacing it with the
vile discomfort of a forgotten past, PILLARS bring only
agony and promise only torment. Prepare your grave..
"Onward to Nothingness" is the band’s first full length and is the
follow up to their 2017 EP, "Pyres and Gallows". "Onwards to
Nothingness" definitely shows the evolution of the band whose sound has matured
to a darker and heavier aesthetic. Fans of With the Dead, Bell Witch, Conan,
and doom legends Moss, will certainly embrace this
offering. Today THE SLUDGELORD
exclusively brings this monumental record is full for your ears only. Check it out below, so listen in and watch
your speakers die. "Onward to Nothingness" is available
now via Seeing Red Records and can be ordered (HERE)
Debut album “Belly of the Whale” by Ambassador, is a cavernous musical quest fusing heart
rending doom, shoegazing aesthetics, and a deeps pop sensibility. Hailing
from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, “Belly of
the Whale”, is set to drop on September 28, 2018. Eluding the stale
tropes of modern rock, Ambassador evokes a
sense of maturity and sonic exploration but with their emotional and vulnerable
sounds remaining rooted in post rock, progressive metal and southern blues. The
band has been compared to groups like Dredg, Pink Floyd and A Perfect Circle,
featuring introspective and ethereal lyrics supported by concise grooves all
defined by an ominous sense of melody. Each composition exposes new colours and
textures with its own distinct energy and today at THE SLUDGELORD
we’re proud to be able to premiere this truly one of a kind record, check it
out in full below and you can order it now (HERE)
When a new band and subsequent debut record hits your inbox, with descriptions
of groove laden heaviness, and song craft laden with sludgy riffs, my interest
levels are immediately spiking.. Enter stage left, French sluggers HELL IN TOWN, who conjure
up a strong sense of southern heaviness on forthcoming record “Bones”. A
southern fried riff machine but with an indefinable French quality, “Bones”
is a record of notable distinction but armed with that essential addictive
quality.
“Bones” is a record to quench the thirsts of those
with the most insatiable appetite for riffs and today we can exclusively
premiere the record in below. Turn it up
loud and let your speakers die, because we have HELL IN TOWN. "Bones" is released on September
28th on CD via vapocalypse.fr and on all
digital platforms
The
foremost disciples of tone are back with this superbly titled fourth full
length studio record. Ever since “Horseback Battle Hammer”, Conan
have carved out their own niche and become hugely influential in doing so. Amp
and pedal worship was never the same after these guys, but really it is the
music that matters here. Conan have done the almost impossible and
become a kind of Iron Maiden-esque entity within the doom scene. They don't
sound like anyone else, have their own unique artwork, tour endlessly and write
about things their audience is interested in. They are unique and whilst being
labelled “doom” they operate in a field of one.
Opener
“Prosper On The Path” is massive in
sound, the contrasted vocals of Jon Davis and Chris Fielding work superbly and
the drum sound is absolutely immense- the playing of Johnny King also deserves
mention as it has slotted right in with the band and added an extra dimension
to their sound. Conan
work their magic by weaving soundscapes and moods rather than catchy tunes.
It's riff worship, it's “the sound” but despite all their success (and what is
effectively brand identity), they won't be troubling the radio airwaves anytime
soon. Provided this is no problem for you, then the likes of “Eye to Eye to Eye” will bludgeon you
effectively and introduce no small amount of time changes into the bargain. The
throwaway grind of “Paincantation”
is a huge departure, but only a brief one. The rest of the album takes things
back to low and slow territory- with fast bits, of course- that have been part
of the sub-genre since Sabbath.
Interestingly,
there is nothing that extends beyond seven minutes here and of the seven
tracks, perhaps “Amidst The Infinite” feels
epic- but is not necessarily so. Certainly, the tempos are low and the riffs
are creeping horrors in places. Chris Fielding has excelled himself with the
production; it really is fantastic. It is Conan's best sounding record, which is saying
something as they have all been sonic terrors. It is as huge as “Blood Eagle”
and “Revengeance” but with more clarity and power.
Advance
single “Volt Thrower” is the most
immediate track on here, with its off kilter rhythms and head nodding groove, finding
the band sounding almost like High on Fire and is a great track. It's
vicious as well as huge. “Vexxagon”
is similarly insistent and swinging and again shows Conan to be more catchy than you
might have expected. Truly, this is headbanging stuff.
Just
like that, the beastly bass groove of “Eternal
Silent Legend” ushers in the last track on the record. Only seven tracks,
but is there any need for more? For me, a little of Conan can go a long way; six
tracks proper is about right. The live bonuses are well performed and sound
fantastic- but they are superfluous to requirements and are just cool to
hear/nice to have as add ons... come to think of it, they are quite literally
bonuses!
All
fans will have their favourite Conan album. For me, it is “Blood Eagle” and “Existential
Void Guardian” has not changed that so far. It is a close second, I'll say
that. I prefer this to both “Monnos” and “Revengeance” as it shows the band
doing what they do best. If anyone wanted to hear Conan for the first time, I
could not argue with directing them to this masterful work. I am enjoying the
record hugely; I'm reviewing this after buying the CD. I heard the stream,
liked it and wanted to own it. I'm glad I did, as Conan need all our support if
heavy music is to press on effectively. We need leaders as well as followers.
They have become standard bearers of sorts and even if you don't like them...
you know them when you hear them. Such is their power and the source of appeal.
They have “something” and have managed to capture that “something” in the
studio again. No mean feat.
“SATAN’S DOZEN” is THE SLUDGELORD’s attempt
to present the very best music the underground scene has to offer. Each
and every month our member of the Russian chapter Andrei Moosepainstakingly
sifts through the best new releases on bandcamp and chooses 13 of the
best and bundles them together into the mightiest riff sandwich.
Whilst
all the albums we have included below are top tier stuff, we have compiled them
into a chart on a sliding scale of 13-1. So we hope you dig our selections
from June/August 2018 and enjoy “13 Unearthly Hymns Unearthed”. These
bands need more exposure, so go “like” “share” and “follow” their pages, but
most of all enjoy some of the best music the underground has to
offer. THE
SLUDGELORDmost sincerely
approves. Now, turn up the volume and let your speaker die.
13.
Rivers Of Gore, “Rivers Of Gore” (Méx., Mexico) Released
August 4, 2018
Stoner - Doom / Stoner - Rock
12.
Super Moon, “Disciple ” (Omaha, Nebraska) Released August
9, 2018
Stoner - Rock /
Stoner - Metal
11.
Lophius, “Lophius” (Copenhagen, Denmark) Released June 4,
2018
Stoner-Rock /
Stoner-Doom
10.
Young Bull, “Midnight Climax” (Lawrence, Kansas) Released
June 8, 2018
Hardcore /
Stoner-Metal
9.
Red Sun Atacama, “Licancabur” (Paris, France) Released
August 8, 2018
Psychedelic/Stoner-Rock
8.
Swamp Hawk, “Swamp Hawk” (Lexington, Kentucky) Released
August 24, 2018
Stoner-doom/Stoner-metal/Stoner-Rock
7.
ThunderWhip, “Forever's End” (Esbjerg, Denmark) Released
August 7, 2018
Stoner-doom /
Stoner-metal
6.
Grovel, “Trash Poetry” (Boston, Massachusetts) Released
July 31, 2018
Sludge / Stoner-Doom
5.
SALTBUCK, “CITYSLICKER” (London, UK) Released August 20,
2018
Doom / Sludge
4.
O’K and The Night Crew, “O’K and The Night Crew” (Hartford,
Connecticut) Released June 28, 2018
Stoner / Blues / Rock
3).
Jack Harlon &The Dead Crows, “Hymns” (Bendigo,
Australia) Released July 6, 2018
Psychedelic /
Stoner-Rock / Stoner-Doom
2.
Saint Karloff, “All Heed The Black God” (Oslo, Norway) Released
July 27, 2018
Stoner-Rock
1.
Leeched, “You Took The Sun When You Left” (Manchester, UK)
Released August 24, 2018
The third edition of Psycho Las
Vegas hit the jackpot with those that attended the 4-day bacchanal
recently. Dozens of bands from both the
United States and abroad descended on Sin City, more specifically, the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino to perform, party and
partake in other sinful delights. One of
those bands, Wolvhammer, sat down with THE SLUDGELORD to discuss Psycho Las Vegas, what they’re up
to and what’s next for them.
SLUDGELORD: I'm here with Wolvhammer and
they're playing Psycho Las Vegas tonight at...
Adam: 8:30 on the
Vinyl Stage.
SLUDGELORD: So, what do you guys
think of Psycho Las Vegas so far?
Adam: Amazing. I've
always heard really good things about the festival, so it was really, really
awesome for us to get asked to do it, and a lot of friends here and shit, so
I'm looking forward to it.
Gary: We've been
running into people left, right and center, hanging out, having a great time so
far. Bunch of great bands we get to go watch, you know. It'll be fun.
SLUDGELORD: Cool, and how long are
you guys sticking around in Vegas and what do you plan to do while you're here?
Adam: I actually
fly out tomorrow. It's my birthday tomorrow, so I'm going home to hang out with
my girlfriend. But, yeah, these guys will be here all weekend.
Adam: Yeah, John,
Garrett are all going to be here watching bands, hanging out, and then we're
leaving Sunday night to go head back to Chicago.
SLUDGELORD: And you're going to
Chicago and you're going to?
Adam: Minnesota.
SLUDGELORD: You're in Minneapolis?
Adam: Yeah, right
outside Minneapolis.
SLUDGELORD: So, does anybody in the
band gamble?
Gary: I won a
hundred and eighteen bucks playing the Sharknado slots earlier this morning.
SLUDGELORD: Yeah? Is that what you
play? You play the slots?
Gary: I mean, I
play anything that strikes me, I like black jack. Video blackjack's good, but
we're just sitting there, sat down, threw some money into it and couple spins
in and it was just a hundred and eighteen bucks. It's like, "Time to
leave!"
SLUDGELORD: How about you Adam?
Adam: I'm too
frugal with my money.
SLUDGELORD: Ah, okay.
Adam: I spend money
like stupidly enough as is I don't want to start gambling on top of it.
SLUDGELORD: Anybody else in the band
play tables or anything like that?
Gary: I don't
think so. I don't think anybody else really gambles. I like drinking and bad
decision making.
SLUDGELORD: You're in the right
place.
Gary: Put me in
Vegas.
SLUDGELORD:Yeah. Have you been to Vegas before?
Gary: Oh, many
times. I tour for a living outside of the band. Driving, doing merch, touring
around, stuff like that with bands so I'm here fairly regularly. But this time
we're here and I'm not having to actually like, you know, go do a different
show and be there for eight, nine hours. So, having free time means that I
spend a little bit sitting at the tables and the machines, you know?
SLUDGELORD: Cool, now what bands do
you guys plan on checking out or have you checked out since you've been here?
Adam: I really want
to see Homewrecker,
Survive ...
Gary: Yeah. Eyehategod,
High on Fire, definitely going to see them.
Adam: Of course, I
want to see Danzig
tomorrow but I'm flying home. I would love to see Godflesh.
Gary: Yeah, Godflesh is
gonna to be great. I’ll make sure to take pictures for you.
Adam: Oh Yeah? Thank
you! There's so many good bands on this
so, I'm just again so excited they asked us to be a part of it.
SLUDGELORD: So I'm assuming it's your
first time?
Gary: Yeah, it's our
first time here.
SLUDGELORD: Didn't you guys roll
through Phoenix a few weeks ago?
Gary: On our last
tour yeah with Uada we did. We did that and it was like right towards the end,
'cause it ended in Texas.
SLUDGELORD: Now, you know what The
Metal Archives are?
Adam: Yeah.
SLUDGELORD: So, they label you guys
as blackened sludge metal. Do you think that's accurate?
Adam: The sludge
thing has always been interesting to me, 'cause like, when the band first
started, before I was in it, I feel like it had a lot more of that sound going
on, but like ever since I've been in the band, I don't really think we do
anything that I would personally put in like the sludge genre. I think it's
just because we play kinda slowly, sometimes? It's like a lazy label to just
throw at it because we play somewhat slower tempos. I don't really think it's
sludge influenced at all, personally, but I mean, if that's what people hear,
you know. I get it.
Gary: On the new
record, there's more crust stuff than there is sludge stuff, so by that it's
black and crust, black and whatever, but I mean there's just some slow parts
but I wouldn't necessarily call that sludgy either. Not in the sense of New
Orleans sludge or anything like that so ...
Adam: That's a tag
that's followed the band for ages.
SLUDGELORD: Yeah, if it's on that,
that's almost the bible of heavy bands for the most part, people know what
they're doing, they're usually hitting that site first. It personally gives me a baseline, who's in
the band? How many albums do they have out, and what the general description
is.
Adam: Yeah, I
definitely go to that website quite a bit.
Gary: Same.
SLUDGELORD: For me, when I research
bands, I always hit that site. But, like I said, I've listened to you guys
before and I was like...sludge? Really???
Adam: Like I never
got an Eyehategod vibe
from our music.
Nikos Mixas (c)
SLUDGELORD: So yeah, that's
interesting, since you mentioned the new album, how's the latest album
"The Monuments of Ash and Bone" been received, so far to your
knowledge?
Adam: I mean, the
press for it has been great so far. I wish with my scheduling right now, with
two bands dropping records pretty close, it's been hard for me to balance
schedules. This is the first time I've played shows on the record cycle so far
with these guys. I'm really stoked about the record though. I think it's, I
know it's stereotypical to say but, It's the best thing we've done, and I'm
just excited that it's finally out and the press has been awesome so far.
SLUDGELORD: You guys toured with
Taake in 2015? Right? So what is your take or opinion of them having to cancel
their U.S. tour, earlier this year.
Adam: See, I don't
really know what happened with that, the only thing that was interesting to me
was Metal Sucks, kinda like the charge on doing what they do or whatever on the
internet, and talking about all this shit that the singer had done in the past.
But what was really hypocritical to me is when we did that tour, Metal Sucks
was actually like the head sponsor on that tour. It was Metal Sucks presents Taake
& Wolvhammer.
Gary: And for those
events they're trying to get 'em shut down for too, like years before that, and
they said "Oh that we talked to 'em, we knew they're not these kind of
people, and there's posts of it, people have screenshots of it and everything
where they're defending them, and then they get a tour shutdown and it's like,
well, there wasn't a time machine, the events took place before that tour, it
was fine to analyze it then, not fine now.
Adam: Yeah and it's
not like I can get behind what he did or anything but like I got to spend a
month with those guys and I never got any vibe like that from them at all.
Adam: So it was
disheartening to see the fact that they had like a really nice tour, really
cool package just getting shut down over some bullshit.
SLUDGELORD: And the dates fell too,
cities like New York, Chicago, and then the rest of them?
Adam: They just
went and, it's unfortunate but it's the climate we live in and, I understand
but, It's just unfortunate. 'Cause they're good people. Like, I know them
pretty well. It's just a bunch of bullshit to me.
SLUDGELORD: And what do you think
about the overall state of heavy music?
Adam: I mean,
there's a lot of good bands out, good records coming out, for sure. I've been a
nerd about metal and punk music since I was a little kid so.
SLUDGELORD: So you remember when the
bottom dropped out?
Adam: Oh yeah.
SLUDGELORD: When it came back, and
how it came back?
Adam: For sure.
Yeah, it's huge right now which is great, and when I was in Europe you know,
you see there's so much more respect I feel like over there for heavy music,
and you know, you can get festivals everywhere and then the states, this is
pretty much besides Maryland Deathfest, the big one. So, it's nice to see it on
the rise.
Gary: Good to see
U.S. festivals if you can go to with great lineups and then you'll actually
have people come out and you know the festivals will do well, and you don't
have to worry about it. In Europe it does seem there's more of a respect for
it, cause you end up with these festivals that are just 60, 70, 80 thousand
people going to see a bunch of heavy metal bands and, turns out well it's
always the holy grail of festivals in Europe. You wanna go over there and play,
cause you get to see it and it's just this whole massive undertaking for the course
of three days, just so you can have a bunch of kids come together and you know,
adults too but like, watch heavy bands and that's it. Nothing else, just get
together and have a good time.
SLUDGELORD: You guys are currently on
tour right now?
Adam: Technically
yeah, but this is our last day. We played at three shows just to get down here
so that we could do this.
SLUDGELORD: Alright, so it's a kind
of like mini tour.
Adam: Yeah, yeah.
SLUDGELORD: How was it so far?
Adam: It was great
man, our new fill in guitar player Jarrett Pritchard has been absolutely
killing it, so, I have no complaints at all. I think we sound great.
SLIUDGELORD: Are you the writer for the
guitars?
Adam: No. Oh that
was Jeff Wilson.
SLUDGELORD: Okay, did he do the
album? Did he do a little of the tracks?
Adam: Yup.
SLUDGELORD: Is he an old school metal
head?
Adam: Yeah.
SLUDGELORD: Does he like Possessed?
Adam: Oh yeah, for
sure.
SLUDGELORD: I know. You know how I
know? 'Cause he's using the same effects like Larry LaLonde, that echo sound
on, I forgot what song, it's like the third song on the album that you guys
did. There's a solo in there, and I'm like, that dude, that sounds like
Possessed. That effect that he used is on there.
Adam: Is that
"Call Me Dead"?
SLUDGELORD: I think it is.
Adam: So that would
actually be the guy who's filling in for us right now, Jarrett, He's the guy
that did the solo on that song.
SLUDGELORD: Did he?
Adam: Yeah.
SLUDGELORD: 'Cause, that echo that he
uses, sounds just like the Larry LaLonde echo, like when he played for
Possessed. Possessed is one of my favorite bands so that's why I caught it
right away, I was like "wow, like no one's doing that right now".
Adam: Yeah, Jarrett
an old school Florida death metal dude so he played in the band "Eulogy".
Gary: That was
all Jarrett's bag. He wrote all the stuff Eulogy and had him out on with us great so
that just can see, engineered, and you know, played on the record, did solos,
all that, helped record the record, so, having he already knows the material
intimately, and now he's out here playing shows with us so, awesome.
SLUDGELORD: Now, are there any more
festival dates on the horizon for you guys?
Adam: Not at the
moment but I hope so. 'Cause I love playing festivals. And I just want to get
Wolvhammer in front of bigger crowds. So I really am open to it of course, I
would love to do Maryland Deathfest.
SLUDGELORD: If you had to pick one in
Europe, which one would it be?
Gary: Ooh, I
mean, I don't know if we would fit but, I'd love ... Oh, that is hard. We would
do Brutal Assault.
Adam: Yeah, Party
San is cool.
Gary: The obligatory Hellfest is one.
Adam: Summer
Breeze.
Gary: Wacken, man
there's....
Adam: Any of 'em!
Gary: Yeah!
SLUDGELORD: Well, if you had to pick
one...
Gary: Personally,
I would love to do Obscene Extreme but that's just because I wanna see all the
bands that are at Obscene Extreme every year
Adam: Yeah, Czech
republic.
Gary: Oh I love
it there, it's wonderful.
Adam: Dude, I love
that place.
Gary: Yeah, but.
Gary: I dunno how
well we'd go over there but, hell I'll do it.
SLUDGELORD: And then, what's next on
the horizon for Wolvhammer after this little segment is over?
Adam: I think we're
gonna start working on new material for a new record, I'm pretty booked up 'til
the end of the year with the Skeleton Witch. So, any touring will probably have
to happen like early 2019, but.
Gary: He's got Skeleton
Witch, I
know I've got tours booked after the end of the year so anything we do is gonna
have to be at the earliest, early next year.
Adam: I think the
main goal is to hunker down and start working on new material so, just take it
from there and see what happens. If anything comes up offer wise, yeah, we'll
jump on it.
Gary: Of course
there's always bands that you can get an offer from. You figure out how to make
that shit work.
